San Luis Rey R A Oceanside water level

Name: San Luis Rey R A Oceanside water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.60ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 AM PDT (49 min ago)

Flow: 0.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 6.44 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 09:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 06:44 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

San Luis Rey R A Oceanside is at 5.60 ft, in the normal range.

It is 15.40 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 6.44 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 09:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 5.60 ft and 5.66 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 21.70 ftJanuary 16, 1993
Forecast peak: 6.44 ftThursday, October 22 at 09:00 PM

Floating and fishing near San Luis Rey R A Oceanside

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 21.00 ft, 15.40 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft: Excess overflow of water has damaged some sewer and water mains in the city of oceanside. The lilac road bridge on the pala indian reservation has likely washed out. The rincon casino has been evacuated. Approaches to upstream crossings are likely damaged or washed out. North river road has likely been undermined in oceanside. The retainaing wall protecting homes in the rancho viejo project upstream from oceanside is likely compromised. Pala casino is at risk with possible evacuations.
24.50 ft: Extent of damage unknown. It is possible that the approaches to several of the upstream crossings will be damaged or washed out. The lilac road bridge on the pala indian reservation is likely impassable. Undermining of north river road in oceanside is possible. Undermining of the retaining wall protecting homes in the rancho viejo project is possible. Businesses in the flood plain not protected by the levee are at risk of innundation, including the pala casino parking areas and the rincon casino itself.
21.00 ft: Approaches to upstream bridges including camino del rey, shearer crossing, and couser canyon, among others, are threatened and possibly damaged. The lilac road bridge on the pala reservation is at risk.
12.00 ft: LOW-WATER CROSSINGS CAN BE IMPACTED WELL UPSTREAM OF THE GAGE BEFORE SIGNIFICANT GAGE RESPONSE OCCURS. GAGE HEIGHTS OF 9.5 TO 12 FT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLOSING OF COLE GRADE ROAD AND LILAC ROADS.
5.60 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.70 ft	January 16, 1993
2	20.70 ft	January 11, 2005
3	19.97 ft	March 6, 1995
4	19.25 ft	January 10, 2005
5	18.45 ft	February 15, 2019
6	17.17 ft	March 1, 1991
7	14.99 ft	February 15, 1986
8	14.23 ft	March 3, 1983

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 81° 59° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 73° 62° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 80° 65° – Wind 16 mph

22 Thu 70° 65° 0.77 in, 89% Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 72° 63° 0.00 in Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 82° 64° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 86° 68° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:58 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min First quarter 68%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Santa Margarita R A YsidoraRiver gauge	7.13 ft	Below flood stage	±0	6 mi
Oneill Lake Outlet Ch near FallbrookRiver gauge, Oneill Lake Outlet Ch	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	8 mi
Fallbrook Creek near FallbrookRiver gauge, Fallbrook Creek	0.3 cfs	High	−0.1 cfs	9 mi
De Luz Creek near De LuzRiver gauge, De Luz Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	14 mi
Santa Margarita R A Fpud Sump near FallbrookRiver gauge, Santa Margarita R A Fpud Sump	7.1 cfs	Normal	±0	15 mi
Sandia Creek near FallbrookRiver gauge, Sandia Creek	0.5 cfs	Very low	±0	16 mi
Rainbow Creek near FallbrookRiver gauge, Rainbow Creek	0.1 cfs	Normal	±0	16 mi
Santa Margarita River near TemeculaRiver gauge, Santa Margarita River	5.1 cfs	Normal	+1.0 cfs	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for San Luis Rey R A Oceanside?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 15.40 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of San Luis Rey R A Oceanside today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 AM PDT, the water level was 5.60 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is San Luis Rey R A Oceanside rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of San Luis Rey R A Oceanside normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at San Luis Rey R A Oceanside?

The highest level on record is 21.70 ft on January 16, 1993.

Is San Luis Rey R A Oceanside expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 6.44 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 09:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11042000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.21809, -117.36030 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	5.60 ft	2026-10-20 11:30	Provisional
Flow	0.6 cfs	2026-10-20 11:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: San Luis Rey R A Oceanside (usgs:11042000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/san-luis-rey-r-a-oceanside

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer